It was yesterday or the day before: the Evening Standard brought in headlines some bad news for the nurses out of the Government health's reforms. Today, the news is "96% of nurses says minister must go". And I say, is this news? Eloquently, as Nicole Kidman in that commercial, what would you expect? The big piece of news would be precisely the opposite: 96% of nurses agree with the cuts.
It is the same story as ever: a portrait of flawed democracy. Our political universe is an arm-wrestle between groups, in selfish quest for isolated benefits; the individual -the only reason for democracy to exist- is a subordinate caught in the middle. The miraculous piece of news is how societies can still prosper.
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Down the same old path -wrong- of thinking follows the opinion of Mathew d'Ancona, on account of the PM's comments on Monday when Cameron visited Oxford: "I saw figures the other day that showed that only one black person went to Oxford last year. I think that is disgraceful, we have got to do better than that". It is true that the statement stinks to political convenience (there are some local or Parliamentary elections on May 5th, aren't there?), but I can't see at first sight why this fact can be disgraceful. It will be certainly outrageous, possibly illegal, and against the Human Rights if a line one single black student were denied admission to Oxford after meeting requirements and standards. But, is that the case? And, anyhow, it would be as much outrageous in every case, regardless the skin color of the boy, either black, yellow or green.
Why is it so hard to find someone asking a simple question: why? Why are there so few black students in Oxford? And from there, go discuss and talk. Seriously. Cliches stinks. Mediocrity. Bullshit! It seems to me that that fact is the reflection of something more profound that needs to be unrooted. By imposing variety, I expect segregation and discrimination to grow, rather than the opposite.
Don't you think so? Well, it is clear to me. Listen. Apart from the fire in cold winter nights, the old humans learned that the warmth of social affinity is a precious gift to survive in this, sometimes, not very hospitable world. They learned soon: pares cum paribus facillime congregantur. My place at UCL is in the office with a group of boys and girls who have formed a to-a-certain-extend closed group. Why? They live among themselves at work; some are more open than others, but the general behaviour is to operate as a group. It is the same in your office, in your place of work, isn't it? If you stay in the South of the States for some time, you will notice how very scarcely white and black people share normal social activities, such as going out for dinner or a drink, form mixed groups of friends or establish a relationship. Philis Chesler denounced the tendency of women to operate as a group and to quench (extirpate) any other individualist female that might crash the ceiling conspicuously. (She said: that is the reason why becoming an independent woman, mainly in the Islamic countries, is doubled a deed -No doubt in my mind that the state of servitude in which women are in countries submissive to Islam is supported by women. That I say.). Again, why?
Being an individualist and defend the right and necessity to become one is not a very popular subject, but it holds to me a key point in the development of societies. D'Ancona mentions Ayn Rand. He labels her as a "right-wing intellectual". Obviously, he does not know what he is talking about. But beyond these considerations, I wish to point out that individualism is one of the bravest conquests of humans, a unique escape from primitivism. I am not saying that humans must reject assemblies, millenarian social or religious structures. They all are needed; even irrationalism is fundamental. All are elements as old as our nature, conform our essence, as a matter of fact, and thus will prevail against all odds and catastrophes. All I am saying is that a human life must be free and encouraged to be fulfilled, on one's
behalf and responsibility, independently on race, history, sex or occupation. And, for that, my friend, you will have to stand on your own.
I said it before and I say it now: a nurse is a person who works as a nurse; a black student is a person who happens to be black and study at the present time. The quality person confers each of them the rights to do with their lives what they please.
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